GOD. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
GOD. God is defined as “a being absolutely infinite, that is, a substance consisting of 38 On the question of the interpretation of Spinoza‟s attributes, see Martial Guéroult, Spinoza I – Dieu. (Hildesheim, Xxxxx Xxxx, 1968), 428-461; Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, “Spinoza‟s Definition of Attribute” in Studies in Spinoza: Critical and Interpretive Essays, ed. S. Xxxx Xxxxxx (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1972); Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, “Some Remarks on the „Objective‟ and „Subjective‟ Interpretations of the Attributes,” Inquiry 20 (1977): 447-56; and Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, “Substance Monism and Identity Theory in Spinoza” in A Cambridge Companion to Spinoza’s Ethics, ed. Xxxxxxxxx (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009). an infinity of attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence” (1d6; G II 45). If the attributes are objective parts of reality, then this seems to imply that God is both one and yet comprised of infinite attributes. There is a deep problem of how to resolve this case of the many in the one. Take the example of thought and extension, which are the only attributes human beings know about (although there are infinitely many). It appears that thought and extension are two self-caused attributes, conceived through themselves, which yet comprise one substance. They are distinct and identical at once. As the definition of God just quoted suggests, the relation between attributes and substance seems to be one of expression. An analysis of this concept in Spinoza is beyond the scope of our topic.39 For our purposes, we will equate substance and attributes as both self-caused and conceived through themselves with the qualification that there is only one substance, but infinite attributes. The distinction that is important for us is not that between substance and attribute, but rather that between substance and attribute, on one hand, and modes, on the other. Spinoza introduces terminology expressly designed to articulate this fundamental metaphysical distinction, employing the term “Natura naturans” to denote “what is in itself and is conceived through itself, or such attributes of substance as express an eternal and infinite essence” (1p29s; G II 71); and “Natura naturata” to denote “whatever follows from the necessity of God‟s nature, or from any of God‟s attributes, that is, all the modes of God‟s attributes insofar as they are considered as things which are in God, and can neither be nor be conceived without God” (ibid.). Having intro...
GOD. We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), an infinite, all knowing Spirit (Xxxx 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Xxxxxxx 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) each equally deserving worship and obedience.
GOD. There is but one God, the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of Himself, all perfections, being infinite in them all; and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. He exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. God ordains or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.
GOD. There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. God the Father God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Xxxxx Xxxxxx. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Xxxxxxxx 10:10; 17:13; Xxxxxxx 6:9ff.;
GOD. God is and doesn’t want to break fellowship with mankind. God is and does not tolerate sin even in its mildest form. “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty . . .” Exodus 34:6-7 Why is grace so important? To answer that question, you must under- stand what the Bible says about man.
